Plot Details: This opinion reveals minor details about the movie's plot.

Nowadays one of the main complaints I hear from my friends who are parents, since I'm not, is that there are no really good family films out there. I don't necessarily have an opinion on that subject but then I'm not forced to find enough entertainment to keep teens and preteens amused 24/7 for the next 18 years. My friends also complain that what entertainment does exist seems to involve an inordinate amount of jokes about whatever the bodily fluid du jour is, or an unnecessary amount of violence, or has a plot so inane that they'd rather have a root canal, sans anesthetic, than be forced to watch Agent Cody Banks again.

To those friends, and anyone else, with or without kids, I heartily recommend The Boy Who Could Fly. The Boy Who Could Fly starts out in small town middle America where a small family move in next door. The mom, Charlene Michaelson (Bonnie Bedelia) and her daughter Milly (the outstanding Lucy Deakins) and son Louis (Fred Savage pre-Wonder Years) are fleeing from their past and starting over in a new town. That event, which I won't reveal, has left deep emotional scars on all of them and affected them in different ways.

Louis seems most affected and hates living in his new town. He acts out and rebels against the family and is tormented by the bully's around the corner who claim ownership of the block they live on. How many times in childhood, and adulthood for that matter, do we all claim ownership of something that's not ours and shut out the "outsiders"? Someone new at work? Hey, this is our company and they are "intruding" on "our" space. The bully's aren't really bad per se, they're just kids who can act thoughtless and disregard another's feelings with that viciousness that only kids can seem to muster before they grow out of that stage (at least we hope they grow out of that stage).

Charlene is deeply hurt but she tries to cover her emotions for the sake of her children. It wouldn't be fair to burden them with her feelings but sometimes they seep to the surface and her frustration leaks out. Not only is she coping with a terrific loss and her rebellious children but she must return to work after being out of the work force for years and finds that her skills are a bit rusty. Being the emotional rock in the family takes its toll especially when dealing with her frustrating young son and facing the dilemma that every mother with a teenage daughter must confront (her growing sense of sexuality). She's only too human and Bedelia puts in a nice nuanced performance.

Lucy Deakins is simply wonderful as Milly. She's in almost every scene and must carry the movie and does a perfect job. Milly becomes fast friends with Geneva (Mindy Cohn from The Facts of Life) but is an outsider in the cloistered world of her new high school. A teacher, Mrs. Sherman (a nice supporting turn by Colleen Dewhurst), seems to sense that Milly needs something more. A nurturing instinct that seems to be unfulfilled so Mrs. Sherman gives her a project in the form of Eric Gibb (Jay Underwood), who lives next door with his Uncle Hugo, the town drunk(Fred Gwynn).

Underwood doesn't have much to work with since Eric cannot speak and seems to have withdrawn to within himself. When he was just a child Eric's parents were killed in a plane crash and at the exact moment of the crash, as if sensing that his parents were in trouble, Eric flapped his arms as if trying to fly for them. But, of course, Eric can't fly (can he?) and was unable to save his parents. Since then he has withdraw from the world and is also deeply scarred although physically nothing seems to be wrong with him.

The entire center section of the movie shows the blossoming relationship (platonic) between Milly and Eric as her love gradually grows for him and penetrates the barriers that he's spent a lifetime building up between himself and the rest of the world. In the end I leave it to you to find out whether Eric can fly but that's really secondary to the film. The relationship between Eric and Milly is key and the film wouldn't work if the leads weren't believable. Because of Eric's handicap almost all of the communication between Eric and Milly is non-verbal and both Underwood and Deakins do an excellent job of communicating with their eyes, facial expressions, and body language. Deakins especially does an excellent job in the scene where she finds Eric hiding in his attic during a thunderstorm. The scene shows not only how much she cares for Eric but also conveys the growing love between them absent a lot of unnecessary dialog.

The family dynamic of the Michaelson's is also very good. Yes, they're all hurt and damaged in some way or another but underneath, you can see the love that exists behind the armor that they have placed over themselves. In the end, it's Eric who helps them slough off the past. This film will leave you with a lot to talk about in the end, especially if you have children. The plot provides a lot of original elements and it's depiction of adolescent love is both believable and deeply touching. As I stated earlier this film soars or fails based on the female lead and Deakins was definitely up to the task at hand. I wish she had decided to pursue a career as an actress because I think we are missing someone with a lot to offer. If you watch Law and Order reruns then you can catch Deakins in the following episodes:

Season 13 episode 5 - "The Ring"
Season 4 episode 3 - "Discord"

Where ever she is now, Lucy Deakins can be rest assured that she's made one of the best family movies in the last decade. And you would do yourself a great disservice if you failed to consider this wonderful film that will leave your heart soaring at the end.

Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Good for Groups
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older